Ultra Slo-Mo Saturn V Launch

This is what 7,648,000 lbf of thrust looks like in super slow motion. Undoubtedly, the Saturn V rocket was one of the most amazing feats of engineering in American history. Pretty cool video to watch (if you've got 8 minutes).

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SpaceX Falcon 1 Finally Makes It Into Orbit

Well I guess SpaceX CEO Elon Musk won't have to commit suicide after all. His company finally got their Falcon 1 rocket into orbit today following a successful launch from the U.S. Army's Ronald Reagan Ballistic Defense Test Site on the Kwajalein Atoll. This was Falcon 1's fourth launch attempt with the previous three resulting in failure. The most recent, Flight Three, took place less than one month ago. But today is a new day, and Falcon 1 has become the first privately developed launch vehicle to reach Earth orbit from the ground. This is quite an amazing feat they've accomplished even without the help of Star Trek's beloved Scotty. "As the saying goes, the fourth time's the charm," Musk told his employees after the launch. "It's great to have this giant monkey off my back." While today's launch was only carrying a dummy satellite, this is just the beginning for the space launch startup. Musk and SpaceX are planning several commercial launches in the future as they continue to develop the Falcon family of rockets that they intend to one day use to provide launch services for NASA to the ISS. My hat is certainly off to SpaceX today on their momentous achievement, but I have to concur with PointNiner regular J.B. Does this mean we have corporate-owned ICBMs now?

You can watch SpaceX's webcast of the entire launch of Falcon 1 Flight 4 below. The video is long at 10 minutes, but it is interesting. Note how you can hear the SpaceX employees celebrating in the background following a successful first stage separation. That is because this failed to happen on Flight 3 which resulted in a vehicle loss. Obviously they become overjoyed also when the Kestrel second stage engine shuts down following a successful orbital insertion. Congrats SpaceX!

[Space.com]

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Space Shuttle Launch Seen From Air Canada Flight

This is not the angle you typically see the Space Shuttle launching from. Video was taken by a passenger on an Air Canada flight. It was uploaded last month so there's a good chance this was the launch of STS-124. Two things for certain; the photographer was highly impressed and this was a very unique and interesting perspective to see a launch.

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Bombardier finally launches the CSeries

This announcement wasn't too much of a surprise, but it is good news nonetheless for Canadian manufacturer Bombardier. The much delayed, nearly shelved, redusted and refined C-Series aircraft was finally launched today at the Farnborough Air Show with launch customer Lufthansa signing a letter of intent for 60 aircraft. What was almost bigger news than the launch was Bombardier's announcement to build the C-Series final assembly plant at its Mirabel-Montreal site instead of a proposed Kansas City plant as hoped by this blogger. I am glad to see that highly contentious decision finalized though, just for the sake of seeing a C-Series aircraft in the air soon. Powered by the revolutionary Pratt & Whitney Geared Turbofan, the new C-Series of aircraft is being touted by Bombardier as "the greenest single-aisle aircraft in its class." Its 2 x 5 seating will lend to two initial developments of the C-Series. Both a 110-seater and a 130-seater aircraft are planned but I'm sure that could be adapted as is the thing to do with this manufacturer. Bombardier sees a market for 6,300 aircraft in the 110 to 149-seat category which they would love to fill with C-Series. Bravo, Bombardier. It's about time. Now, if we can only get Northwest to retire their DC-9s for some of these.

Here's what she'll look like in Lufthansa colors. Nice.
(photo credit: Flightblogger)

(via Bombardier)

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U.S. Launches Secret Spy Satellite?

It has been reported that the United States launched a secret satellite last night around 3a.m. PDT aboard an Atlas 5 rocket, mission NROL-28. Other than admitting the launch occurred (pretty hard to deny that), officials have been tight lipped. The launch had been delayed two weeks to be sure the new satellite would not get taken out by any debris remaining in space from the defunct satellite shot down recently. Possibly this was a planned replacement?? It was also confirmed at 4:09 PDT that the launch was a success. What is even cooler is that the secret launch took place in low clouds and fog...to make the mission seem even more secretive (as you can see in the above picture).

The satellite was launched for the National Reconnaissance Office, so go get in your birthday suit and show the NRO what your made of.